en قارچ شناسی Mycology تحقيقي Original Paper <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b>Background:</b> <i><span style="color:black">Candida</span></i> species<span style="color:black"> are responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality among susceptible populations. Contemporary epidemiological data indicate a noticeable shift in infection trends away from <i>Candida albicans</i> (<i>C. albicans</i>) toward non-albicans <i>Candida</i> (NAC) species. The primary objectives of this research were therefore to identify the prevalent <i>Candida</i> species and to assess the efficacy of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of these species.</span><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"></span></b><br> <b>Methods:</b> The standard protocol was employed for processing all routine clinical samples submitted to the bacteriology and mycology departments. Identification of <i>Candida</i> species isolated from diverse clinical specimens was performed using MALDI-TOF MS between September 2022 and November 2023. Subsequently, these findings were recorded in tables and subjected to statistical analysis.<br> <b>Results:</b> During the study period, a total of 342 <i>Candida</i> species were isolated. Patients diagnosed with candidiasis had a median age of 46.5 years and exhibited a male predominance. NAC species were the most frequently isolated group, with <i>Candida tropicalis</i> (<i>C. tropicalis</i>) (30.40%) as the most common species, followed by <i>Candida parapsilosis</i> (<i>C. parapsilosis</i>) (14.32%). Furthermore, 40 strains of <i>Candida auris</i> (<i>C. auris</i>) were identified over the 15-month duration of the study (11.69%).<b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"></span></b><br> <b>Conclusion</b>: The significance of <i>Candida</i> species, encompassing both NAC and novel, emerging drug-resistant strains, necessitates a cautious approach. Compared to conventional and automated systems that rely on biochemical reactions for the speciation of <i>Candida</i> isolates, MALDI-TOF MS offers a potentially advantageous alternative due to its rapid and accurate results.</span></span></div> Candidiasis, Non-albicans Candida, MALDI-TOF 5 8 http://mlj.goums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1700-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Kavitha Prabhu kaavitaramesh@yahoo.co.in 100319475328460031606 100319475328460031606 No Department of Microbiology, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, India Rashmi Theresa Dsouza rashmidsouza15@gmail.com 100319475328460031607 0009-0001-2091-8893 No Father Muller Research Centre, Mangalore, India Santhosha Devadiga santhoshbailur123@gmail.com 100319475328460031608 100319475328460031608 No Department of Microbiology, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, India; Father Muller Research Centre, Mangalore, India Beena Antony beenafmmc@gmail.com 100319475328460031609 0009-0004-1149-1527 Yes Department of Microbiology, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, India; Father Muller Research Centre, Mangalore, India Meena Dias drmeenadias@gmail.com 100319475328460031610 100319475328460031610 No Department of Microbiology, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, India